Camus Extra Elegance Comes to America

At
long last, Camus Cognac is launching its Extra Elegance blend to the
United States in a marketing move that presages a number of new issues
to come here in the near future.

Camus,
the fifth largest Cognac house worldwide, has been a family-owned
producer for five generations, since its inception in 1863. While this
Extra version has been part of its offerings from its beginnings, this
is the first time it has been for sale (with the exception of duty-free)
to Americans. The extreme Camus version enjoys wide popularity in the
Asian market, and the company says that it is the leading “extra”
globally.

David
Kell, the U.S.A. marketing manager for Camus, describes the Cognac as a
blend of exceptional eaux de vie that are generally older than those in
its XO expression. While XO (minimum age of six years) is the highest
age claim allowed by Cognac regulations, many houses offer brandies that
are far older, and the term “extra” on the label has become a popular
way of indicating that.

The
Extra Elegance, Kell adds, blends eaux de vie from vineyards in the
Borderies, Grand Champagne and Petite Champagne regions, which are often
considered to be the most exceptional of Cognac’s six crus. “The Grande
Champagne eaux de vie provides excellent length on the palate; those
from Petite Champagne give structure and firmness to the body of the
cognac; those from Borderies offer a velvety texture and sweet pastry
flavors.”

In
a world where the Champagne regions are often ballyhooed above all
others, Camus has made a name for itself by championing the Borderies
region of Cognac. In fact, one of its XO offerings is purely from its
most favored region, which is the smallest cru in Cognac. The maker is
also planning to debut several of its vintage Cognacs in the United
States within the next year. As well, expect to see iterations from its
Ile de Ré collection, made exclusively with eaux de vie from that
island, which is the westernmost region for Cognac production.

Camus
is also known for its outstanding bottle designs, and the Extra
Elegance is no exception. In 2005, its package was redesigned to acquire
what Kell describes as “the timeless and beautifully understated
marriage of metal and glass with precise angles and soft contours.” The
bottle, which won the 2007 Pentaward for Best Luxury, includes no label,
nor inscription.

NOSE: Very spicy aroma with nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and some must and oranges. All meld together as crème brulee and apple pie.

PALATE:
Spice takes a 90-degree turn and becomes very sweet and fruity with
undertones of cinnamon. Exceptionally smooth in the mouth it pops with
notes of cherry and fresh raisin bread.

FINISH: Becomes a bit earthy on the aftertaste with the cinnamon and raisins lingering on.

CIGAR PAIRING:

Room 101 O.S.O.K. Trucha (90 points, Cigar Insider)A
figurado that presents some acidity, which blossoms into coffee bean
character, dried red fruit and a cinnamon spiciness. The cigar’s
cinnamon meshes admirably with the same note on the Cognac, and then the
magic happens. Out come flavors of a sugary coffee cake. The brandy is
the hero in this exceptional pairing, helping the cigar along.

Illusione Epernay La Vie (91 points, Cigar Insider)This
lovely cigar begins with a salty, nutty flavor, growing richer with
coffee notes and a toasty finish. While it is not as successful a
pairing as the first, the Camus succeeds in smoothing some of the
initial rough edges on the cigar. The Cognac gets earthier with the
smoke, but doesn’t keep up with its savory undertones as the Illusione
becomes more and more leathery.